What’s behind this unexpected change of heart. Discover the surprising factors making this Southwest Hawaii flight attendant rethink travel plans to the islands. Is Hawaii’s appeal fading for those who fly there for a living?
What’s behind this unexpected change of heart. Discover the surprising factors making this Southwest Hawaii flight attendant rethink travel plans to the islands. Is Hawaii’s appeal fading for those who fly there for a living?
Hawaii was warned about this Years ago and did nothing about it, now you are paying the price,
Vote out your current government representatives. Enact laws which prevent monies from going to what may be interpreted as special interests. Stop your downfall. You have the power. If you don’t, best of luck to you. But I won’t pay for it.
I tried to leave a comment that got selected for some reason. Fix that. That feels like what all other public publications are doing. Eliminate certain responses to keep whatever narrative feeds the coffers. Good luck.
While your commenters are spot on about pricing and not feeling welcome, I don’t see people here locals here having any problem with that.
Unless they own a business- they are excited to see you leave..
I have read all latest comments and agree.
I come to Maui by grace of my daughter, she wants me to live there in my golden years (83 now)
but l have to get a job to do so. I come to Maui to watch her dog, have a car and place to stay as she is gone, good affordable deal. As a paying tourist no deal.
I agree with and understand the sentiments. One implied message that is a bit misleading, that only Hawaii is going through this. Not true, Barcelona and watergun messages. Medellín is considering STR limits and tourists are increasing seen in conflicted terms here. Many more. Perhaps it’s partly our own assumpted privilege and arrogance that we can go anywhere, in addition to the rightful other comments. Invasion of the baby boomers??? 😉
The “… Hawaiians…” comment and generalization was cringe worthy, at best, I agree🤙
These articles have been helpful, though a bit depressing. My husband and I have our 40th anniversary trip planned for next month. We have saved money and airline points for a long time. We have been so excited to finally see Hawaii. Now it’s sad to know that we won’t feel welcomed there. So disappointing.
How you are received here will depend in large part on how you behave here. If you are kind, friendly, curious about life here, and understanding that the people you are dealing with did not set the prices you see, and have to live with them daily, you should have a fine time.
Call people residents or locals unless they have otherwise identified as NH.
There is a shortage of service staff across all industries here post-COVID. Things might take longer than you like, and all those empty tables in restaurants while you wait in a line outside might be because they cannot hire enough people to serve all the tables.
Be open to trying foods you might not be used to, because foods locals eat daily are generally less expensive than other foods. You might hate all of them, but you have some great stories of finding foods here to tell friends at home.
Keep all this in mind and then come have a great 40th anniversary.
Aloha! I wish we could “talk story” about this and your trip. As long-term residents and now regular visitors with family roots back to the 40s (we couldn’t afford to retire in Hawaii) we still believe in the innate kindness of a large swath of the Hawaii community. Like a lot of places there’s some changes in the works and the devastation of Lahaina accelerated and exacerbated a fundamental problem. The tourist economy has been predicted on bringing more people to the islands every year… and it is reaching a carrying capacity limit along with good questions about where the influence and money are coming from. How it gets solved will be complicated. But I whole heatedly believe there are ways to visit the islands and still experience the Aloha. Don’t let the Whine of the Day be too influential on your premises. Aloha and Happy voyage
we need more of this/you and “diana July 29, 2024 at 10:26 am”
Whine Of The Day is not the way, as you pointed out.
The economy of Hawaii exists to serve/sustain Hawaii, especially long rooted populations from other than the mainland.
The economy of Hawaii may or may not include a need for fake aloha that coddles visitors so that the money keeps flowing.
Receiving/hosting tourists is an economic balancing act to be decided by Hawaiians having a right to change things based on their own values beyond “do the kiss ass fake aloha so the money and drama keeps coming.”
iHope that any time i am disappointed in my Hawaii experience, i will question my expectations rather than only condemn someone because “they didn’t give me enough value for my money.”
Aloha – After 43 years of traveling to Maui I’m giving it up, the states politicians are against tourism with the latest evidence being a ban on vacation condominiums why would we come back to stay in a hotel room or several hotel rooms when we have the whole family traveling. Our favorite condominium has informed us we can book fall 2025. Heading for Mexico next fall, half the price and they want our travel dollars good luck Mayor Bissen, you idi__.
I am a resident here. We went to Cabo in June 2023. It was not necessarily cheaper across the board, though the rental car was a fraction of the prices here, even with additional extra insurance. We loved it and the local people. I had not been since the late 1980s, and all the “old Cabo” feel was long gone. It’s a high-priced luxury resort area with a lot of food shipped in, similar to but not the same as HI.
We went to Cancun in January, and found it more expensive and far less friendly than Cabo or HI. I waited 20 years to finally get there, and it was not anywhere close to what I expected. The people were mostly nice. The higher priced restaurants were just so/so-not worth the bill. I won’t go back there again. Yet I don’t visit Cancun tourist boards and complain about my experience, crime, politicians, govt. in cahoots with cartels, Federales harassment of drivers, etc. I went, I saw, I experienced. It is what it is, and I accept it as such.
I suspect current leadership will not be in office for 2nd terms. I’ve talked to enough people here on Maui to know that they absolutely don’t agree with any of this illogical decision making that is emotional and not based on facts and math. If you don’t want tourists then you had better get a plan together to replace that income. If you don’t want STRs, then you had better get a plan together to replace that income. Notice a pattern here? No planning. No planning for this, no planning for building, no plan. The arrogance will roar its ugly head soon enough.
Nope. If there’s a “D” after their name, they’ll get re-elected. I have lived in calunicornia for 35 years. I’m certain of this.
Well, that is the way “D”s operate. Let’s do this, let’s do that and when it doesn’t work out, which it rarely does, let’s throw money at it. So here we are, raising taxes, raising fees, charging for this, charging for that, throwing the money at it. Change our minds? Use common sense? Not the “D”s. Yet now, the Hawaii people who have had the opportunity to change their government want to instead blame the tourist. So now That money will go away and taxes will go much higher. Vicious cycle.
It’s notable that if we locals write something about “entitled tourists” without a lot of flowery language buffering it that it either gets jumped on by all the mainlanders here or you guys don’t approve the comment. But let a mainlander flight attendant incorrectly label all islanders as “Hawaiians” (incorrectly because not every person at the mall food court they reference is a Native Hawaiian) and call us all rude.
The $50 mediocre food? Perhaps they should take up that layover cost beef with their union or employer. We don’t set their per diem amounts. Food is shipped in and expensive here. Perhaps their bitterness and lack of compassion and for what we deal with daily, not just on layover, comes across in their interactions with people, hence causing the rudeness they lament.
I used to love SW air, but now without the right sale, they are often higher than competitors. I guess next time that happens I will need to blame the flight attendants. As if.
I have been visiting Hawaii since 1975 and my next visit will be my 50 year anniversary. If I add up all the time I’ve spent on the Islands it is close to six years. In ’75 on my first trip, I fell in love with the place and the people. I have never experienced any ill will from the local people. I believe you are treated as you treat others. Don’t let one FA’s opinion change anyone’s impression of the true Hawaiian/local folks. As for the cost of living, I’m sure 100% of locals would love to have lower prices, but being 2,700 miles out in the middle of the Pacific wasn’t negotiable.
I went to Tahiti in March. It had competitive pricing compared to Maui and I didn’t encounter one local that showed a negative attitude. If Maui doesn’t want my tourist money, I’ll just wave as I fly over on my way to the South Pacific.
Been going there since 1989 but will no more. My biggest regret is that my family of 28 was introduced to this beautiful place by me. All of us love Maui and when Lahaina was destroyed we all wept. 6 of us were there as recentley as February 2024. While visiting the needle we were accosted by a bunch of teenagers on dirt bikes. No one at the park lifted a finger. With the prices for everything so high, we will not be returning. We have good memories but little faith it will get better. Aloha
Prices are out of control in the CONUS as well, but not to the extent they are in Hawaii. Folks posting here often tend to forget that prices for everything for the ordinary residents of the state – especially on the outer islands – are unaffordable anymore for them as well.
People used to deal with it by getting another job. You can only have so many side gigs, you’ve got to sleep sometimes and that point has been reached. The average person is maxed out with financial stress and worry. Things are rapidly coming to a boiling point in both regions over the cost of living but Hawaii is the “Canary in the Coal Mine” over what may happen in the rest of the country when the top finally blows…
You can’t expect people to just take an increasingly impossible situation without finally getting some kind of cathartic reaction out of them. Some of that includes lashing out at tourism and its perceived connection with declining living standards in the state.
Best Regards
Likewise here, wife and I have been going to Hawaii 2 to 3 times per year, spending huge money. Last time was this January. We cancelled our next trips scheduled for September and December as well. Instead, we are buying an RV to stay on the mainland. The cost of your previously planned 3 trips to Hawaii pays almost 50% of the RV. If we decide to fly out, it won’t be to Hawaii anymore but other destinations. We love Hawaii, but it’s time to say goodbye.
“For example, a meal at Burger King in Hawaii costs at least 34% more than the national average and 15% more than California, the second-most expensive state.”
Plus, to add insult to injury, it’s Burger King …
Want “cheap” fast food on Kauai? Go to L&L BBQ. They have some survivable items. (But my last burger at Kenji burger will be my last burger at Kenji burger …). Too bad, because the bar at the Kilauea location is excellent.
Aloha-
As residents you two have a perspective many of us don’t. I have a serious question. “What does the average Hawaiian think would happen if the travel industry magically went away as it seems many wish would happen?
thanks
Perhaps you could stop referring to everyone as “Hawaiians.” Hawaiian is an ethnicity, not a collection of zip codes.
I apologize. My admittedly ignorant use of the word was an innocent mistake. Your response seems calculated and a prime example of how locals feel about tourists
Please educate me … how do you refer to residents of the state of Hawai’i? I understand your reasoning for referring to the true natives, but I am curious about how to refer to non-native residents. Residents of, say, Alaska, are known as Alaskans, whether they are native tribal people or not.
Mahalo for your response.
“locals” is a bit lazy, but is probably best choice. kama`aina is OK but sounds a bit cutesy. “residents” …
But, Hawaiians means native Hawaiians. They are a small percentage of the residents. Kanaka Maoli is native Hawaiians. There is a Hawaiian woman in our neighborhood who drives a big truck with “Kanaka Patrol” nicely painted on the hood. A quick internet search will be more accurate than I am, though.
I don’t know anything about Alaska, so quoting Wikipedia: Alaska Natives (also known as Alaskan Indians, Alaskan Natives, Native Alaskans, Indigenous Alaskans, Aboriginal Alaskans or First Alaskans) are the Indigenous peoples of Alaska and include Alaskan Creoles, Iñupiat, Yupik, Aleut, Eyak, Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian, and a number of Northern Athabaskan cultures. There is not a comparable to HI, Hawaiians are the natives here, “Alaskans” are not.
You can call people here locals, or Hawaii residents.
Diana, Don’t worry that people refer to residents as “Hawaiians”.
As an “Oregonian” I could care less what people refer to themselves that live in Oregon. If they live in Oregon, to me they are “Oregonian’s”. I was born here too! You like me have a state government that is poorly run. Deal with your local and state government, that wants to blame everybody but themselves. It would serve you better.
You entirely missed the point. Have a nice day.
Jon D, you didn’t ask me, but …
People are prone to magical thinking. Hawaii is no different. We imagine all the bad parts of “too many tourists” (primarily traffic and crowds) go away, but that none of the good things that tourists provide for (e.g., lots of tax money, jobs, having a Costco, subsidizing the barges that bring stuff) go away. Personally (part time Kauai residents), we don’t need the jobs, and we’d love for less traffic, but we also like to go out to restaurants and bars, and most would simply fold without tourists. We pay a lot of property tax already, but without all those tourist taxes, the money has to come from someplace else, because the local government obeys the second law of thermodynamics (is always expanding).
Not everyone in Hawaii is Hawaiian. It’s not like the Mainland where everyone from California is a Californian, etc. Hawaiians are so proud people, with some level of Hawaiian blood in their veins. Please do a little research into Hawaiian culture… it’s important to Hawaiians.
Also, I have heard tourists refer to their return to the Mainland as “going back to the US.” The don’t seem to understand the Hawaii is in the US. This is insulting to the locals. Please think before you speak and respect the Hawaiian culture. Thank you!
Beg to differ as a lifelong Kalifornia resident. People from the 3rd world (including most cities) are a large percent of the population here, much like residents of the islands are not limited to atolls and lands far away. Everywhere in the US is a ‘melting pot’, not homogenous.
Hawaiian is part of our country, although many outspoken ‘native’ Hawaiian residents would beg to differ. Maybe that attitude and their treatment visiting the islands leads to them wishing to return to the ‘mainland’.
I agree Hawaii is too expensive! I visited Big Island 14 days last October. It was crazy expensive and i didn’t feel welcomed by the locals. I just returned from Costa Rica in July and found it to be welcoming by the locals and affordable. I will be returning there in January for a month! Much lower costs for hotels, food and excursions. Too bad Hawaii overpriced everything! I won’t be going back there.
I know your pain. My family stayed in Makaha for the entire month of November. There were 12 on that trip. We paid $1000.00. Now it’s that much per night!!!!! We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. That was in 2012, not really that long ago. What a shame, they’ve destroyed that wonderful place with the outragous prices and increase in crime. We are not returning.
All these comments about Hawaii being too expensive / too rude / un-accommodating reminds me of the Yogi Berra quote:
“Nobody goes there any more – it’s too crowded.”
If fewer people are going to Hawaii, why then is it still so expensive, especially for lodging?
Does the law of supply and demand suddenly not exist on the Islands ?
I’ve been traveling from Ca to Hawaii for over 30 years. Never had anything but Aloha spirit from the locals. We buy from farmers markets, which there are plenty and only go out a few times, prices are slightly higher than Ca.. The price of renting a home or condo has tripled so instead of every year maybe we go every other. Thats my only complaint. I love the people and Hawaii!
Well it sounds like the person had a specific incident that finally put it over the top for them. On the whole, the world has become more polarized, and I think we’re not immune to that in the Islands. We have internet and Social Media too.